The 5 Best Soundbars Under $300 - Winter 2025

If you're looking to spend no more than $300, the best soundbar we've tested is the Samsung HW-B750D. Like most bars in this price range, it doesn't support the object-based surround sound Dolby Atmos format. However, it does support Dolby Digital, which is commonly found on streaming platforms and Blu-rays. It doesn't have dedicated rear satellites, instead using side-firing drivers to playback surround audio. Still, it's a 5.1 system, so it can playback surround formats without downmixing them, giving you immersive sound for a relatively affordable price. The balanced frequency response reproduces everything from punchy kick drums to high-pitched clashing swords well. Bass heads might wish for a little more low-end thump, but fans of dialogue-heavy period dramas will appreciate the dedicated center channel, which keeps speech clear and audible. You can tweak the bar's sound to your liking using the 7-band EQ and cycle through a few different listening modes, including a 'Voice Enhance' setting that helps you hear poorly dialogue better.

The bar's build quality is good. It's mostly plastic with metal grills covered in thin fabric, and the sub is mainly wood. This soundbar gets loud enough to fill most rooms with ease. Latency, when connected via HDMI or eARC, is remarkably low and still pretty good when connected via the older Optical connection. Unfortunately, fans of wireless playback might be disappointed to learn that the bar only supports Bluetooth as a wireless setting. There's no WiFi, Chromecast, or Apple AirPlay playback here. Gamers might also bemoan the lack of FreeSync and G-SYNC passthrough, but for most people, this bar provides what you need at a pretty low cost, provided you're willing to forgo dedicated rear satellites.

The best soundbar with satellites under $300 we've tested is the Vizio SV510X-0806. It's a decently versatile soundbar that works for everything everything from movies to music to TV shows. Since it's a 5.1 setup with dedicated rear satellites, it offers a more immersive surround sound experience than our top pick, the Samsung HW-B750D. It's easy to track objects as they fly around you, and the discrete center channel keeps dialogue clear and audible even during busy fight scenes. The Vizio's sound isn't as balanced out of the box as the Samsung's. In our room, we found it to be quite boomy, so you may want to use the bass and treble controls to tailor the sound to your preferences and room acoustics. But once customized, it offers a generally balanced sound, so everything from dialogue in sitcoms to musical instruments is reproduced with clarity. The dedicated subwoofer packs a punch in the bass range but, like the Samsung, can't reproduce the lowest rumbles of an explosion effect.

Although it doesn't have dedicated up-firing drivers, the Vizio will playback Atmos content, which is a great bonus at this price since you'll usually find Atmos support only on more expensive models like the best soundbars under $500. Dolby Atmos is an immersive audio format commonly found on streaming platforms like Hulu and Netflix, as well as Blu-ray discs. It's designed to bring a cinematic feel to your home audio. The Vizio's Atmos drivers do convey some sense of height, but you'll want to check out the Vizio M Series M51ax-J6 if you can find it. The M51ax-J6 has dedicated up-firing drivers so it offers much better Atmos performance. It's also an all-around better bar, but it's getting hard to find. If you're lucky enough to see one for sale, grab it while you can!

Do you crave a bassy, thumpy sound? Check out the Klipsch Cinema 400. This soundbar has a dedicated subwoofer that brings out even more punch in the bass range than our top picks, making it a great choice for everything from bass-heavy music genres to action-packed movie scenes. Right out of the box, the bass range has a little extra warmth to ensure you feel your favorite tunes' energy. You can even use its bass adjustment tool to add more punch to the mix.

This 2.1 setup is best suited for listening to stereo content, which includes most music and TV shows. Unfortunately, it has to downmix surround sound into stereo to play it back. And like the Samsung HW-B750D, it doesn't support Dolby Atmos content. However, if you don't watch much of it in the first place, you won't find it to be a huge deal. Ultimately, this soundbar is the right choice for those who want to shake the floor with the bass.

No space for a subwoofer? No problem. Standalone soundbars are a great alternative to our top picks, and the best we've tested in this price range is the Samsung HW-S60D. This 5.0 model has a sleek design with many of the manufacturer's premium sound enhancement tools built in and Amazon Alexa voice assistant support for hands-free control. You can adjust the bar's volume from the comfort of your couch, switch preset modes, and more.

Thanks to Samsung's SpaceFit Sound room correction tool, the bar's sound is automatically optimized based on the unique acoustic characteristics of your room. With a balanced sound out of the box, this bar is suitable for listening to many different types of audio content, and there's even Dolby Atmos support, though it has to downmix this content into stereo to play it. Those who prefer manually switching up the bar's sound can access a full 7-band graphic EQ and some EQ presets. Of course, without a dedicated sub, you'll notice much less thump and rumbly bass, especially with genres like EDM and hip-hop. But if you're low on space, it's a great option.

Standalone soundbars are great for smaller living spaces or if you want something for your computer setup. If you're especially space-conscious, you'll want to look at the Bose TV Speaker. At less than 24 inches in width, it's smaller and more compact than the Samsung HW-S60D. You can set it up under your TV stand or computer monitor to enjoy a clean and clear sound. Despite its small size, the bar gets loud enough to fill your living room with sound.

Of course, this 2.0 setup doesn't bring as impressive a surround sound performance as 5.0 models like the Samsung. It lacks some low-bass, too, which is typical for bars without a dedicated subwoofer. While a bass adjustment feature is on hand, this bar doesn't offer as many sound enhancement tools as the similarly performing Sonos Ray, another stellar small soundbar available at a similar price. The Sonos' room correction feature automatically optimizes audio reproduction based on your room's unique acoustics, which is a premium feature for its price. It doesn't reproduce as much bass as the Bose, but it's worth a look if you want more customization tools.